Puanani Voyages

  Aloha All, again, We did a little hiking along the shoreline of Waikolu Bay. The cliffs there are extremely dramatic. The trade winds blow in and get directed then redirected along the steep walls and shoot downdrafts onto the water’s surface. This makes for abrupt wind shifts in the bay. We seemed to be tucked into an eddy in the corner so it really didn’t affect us until later in the afternoon. Jonathan took an opportunity to launch his drone and capture some breathtaking footage of Puanani and Makaòiòi at anchor. I’ll share a link to the footage in a later post. We left Waikolu early this morning and immediately deployed the fishing lines. This is our last ditch effort to redeem ourselves and catch just one, please just one, real fish before arriving back at Kaneohe. I’ll update you before I close out this chapter on our COVID-19 Stacation Around The Islands Cruise. Everyone take care and stay well. logan Statue Found Hiking Along The Beach At Waikolu Bay Makao'io'i In The...

  Aloha All, Keawanui turned out to be a fantastic place to anchor. Lived up to all the hype from sailors who raved about the place. I need to go back and spend more days tied up there. Too many things to explore. The reefs, the waterfalls, the caves. All amazing! We moved west along the coast toward Kalaupapa about two miles and into Waikolu Bay. To get there we had to shoot a narrow slot between a large rock (Okala Island) and a sharp rock outcropping from the headland. Noodle described the experience in a Haiku as nothing short of “Asspuckeringly narrow!” It really was exciting for sure. Especially when it’s your boat. The anchorage turned out to be excellent with a large sand pit in the corner. Holding in sand always let’s me sleep a little better. More on this later... One of the  Many  Caves Explored Via Dinghy Heading For Waikolu Bay From Keawanui Waikolu Bay Anchorage Clay Enjoying a Dip in Cool Running Waikolu Stream Waikolu Bay Drone Video Footage https://drive....

  Aloha All, After a very good night’s rest at Honolua Bay we awoke to another fantastic sunrise. Actually, we didn’t get up until after official sunrise. Only a smattering of rain the entire 19 days we’ve been on this journey. Not even enough to warrant thinking about getting our foul weather gear out of stowage. Amazing! We did a nice lazy breakfast of omelettes, fried rice and coffee then set about making Puanani ready for sail. Right around 9:00 am we departed my favorite anchorage for Molokai. Sailing along the north coast of Molokai is spectacular! I lost count of the number of waterfall that tumble more than a thousand feet from the towering cliffs. The highest cliffs in the State. We tucked in behind a rocky outcropping about a third of the way along the coast and into Keawanui. A small anchorage, usually max 1-2 boats. We have three boats anchored in here right now. Makaòiòi, Puanani, and one sailed by a family from Oxnard, CA. “How’d you find this place?”, Clay asked. “No...

  Aloha All, We made our move from La Perouse Bay to Honolua Bay yesterday. I was happy to bail out of La Perouse. The waters are flat and protected as long as you anchor up against the east cliffs. The wind was just as strong coming over the cliff as if we were still in the Alenuihaha Channel. That makes for a very un-restful rest stop. Maybe it’d be better in less than nuking trades. No to be this time. Got an early start to our next destination, Honolua Bay. Relatively uneventful but beautiful scenery all along Maui’s south shore.  I never get tired of that view! Honolua is my most favorite summer anchorage that I’ve ever sailed into. Very protected from wind and wave.  Take a look at the photo and you’ll agree. We were paid a visit by the "Maui Tribe," my oldest daughter and her family. It was awesome to see Pua and play with the three grandchildren. Fortunate too as they replenished our ice and lettuce stores. On our way to Molokai now.  More one that later. Tak...

Aloha All, Moved from Kawaihae to Nishimura Bay yesterday. Picked up Clay’s son, Jonathan, at Mahukona Landing after anchoring. It’s just a short dinghy ride away from Nishimura Bay. Proved most fortuitous for Puanani.  Jonathan is a great asset and  crew mate. The winds at Nishimura were strong and gusting stronger. We were tucked in relatively close to shore so the water was calm. It did give as a prelude for what we were in store for the following day. Enjoyed an awesome ribeye steak dinner aboard Makaòiòi before retiring to our vessel to get some rest. First thing the following morning, we transported Bo’s wife, Marcie, to Mahukona. We then completed preparations for crossing the Alenuihaha Channel. Once ready, we pulled anchor and hoisted sail. Maybe a bit too much sail. We started with two reefs in the mainsail and a partially roller furled headsail. As soon as we hit the wind line we took off at a very good clip. All was great, we thought. The ocean hadn’t cast its vote...

Aloha All, We left Kua Bay, a gorgeous gem of an anchorage. It’s about 20 miles north of Honokahau Harbor where we re provisioned. Kua Bay has a nice sandy beach and the anchorage is all sand bottom in less than twenty feet of water. Perfect for hanging out overnight. The swimming was awesome for exercise but not a lot to see if you’re snorkeling. Kind of like driving through the Midwest. All corn, wheat, and soybean fields look the same. Pretty, but monotonous. We’ve started a little tradition here among the cruising squadron officers. Everyone must come up with an original, voyage related, Haiku at each anchorage. No Haiku, no dinner! So far we’ve accumulated some amazing submissions. Go to “ https://mokupea.blogspot.com/?m=1”  to review them. Some of the Haiku are pretty deep. Especially when you consider the authors. I think you’ll be inspired. I know I am. It was a raucous sail up the coast to Kawaihae.  The wind built up with gusts well into the high 2 0s.  Fortunat...